WET weather may have put the handbrake on the CFA’s roadside burning program.

The unexpected increase in rain means CFA leaders are now redrawing plans originally made in October about what preventative measures can be taken for what was expected to be a high-risk summer.

CFA Commander District 5, David Ferguson, said recent rains have left brigades questioning whether there will be a fire season at all this year.

Not being able to run roadside burns due to green growth will delay opportunities for new recruits to be in controlled fire scenarios, to ensure they are well prepared for their duties, and in creating fire refuge areas.

“When we get new recruits, we provide them with their initial training, and we get them into a roadside burn so they can experience a fire and get them used to doing their job in a supervised manner.”

Mr Ferguson said the burns will go ahead eventually, and if they do not, fuel loads in those patches will be higher next year.

“Having said that, we don’t get to burn every road every year.”

New command vehicle for Hawkesdale

IN fantastic news for the Hawkesdale brigade, a new command vehicle arrived on Thursday, thanks to a $52,000 grant from the State Government.

The new model Ford Ranger will bring refreshed capacity to fire management efforts, leading the movement of firefighting trucks and personnel at fire scenes and coordinating with regional command and control.

“It replaces a vehicle that the brigade has had for 13 years,” Mr Ferguson said.

“The current one was funded by the brigade raising money from local organisations but this one is supported by the Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP). It is a government program that supplies some of the money, but the brigade still has to pitch in some cash.”

The application process for such vehicles is competitive and time-consuming, with the Hawkesdale CFA waiting approximately 18 months for the announcement. The new 4WD Ranger, fitted with essential firefighting equipment, serves as the incident control hub during operations. Equipped with radios, GPS, thermal imaging camera, fridge and storage for extra consumables like goggles and masks, it is the most critical vehicle in a large fire scenario.

While owned by the Hawkesdale CFA, the vehicle will support neighbouring brigades like Minhamite, Caramut, Woolsthorpe, Warrong, and Willatook. It can also strike teams dispatched to larger fires, leading the convoy and ensuring effective coordination and communication.